Bengaluru: It appears that Bengaluru Club, the famous leisure and networking spot of the elite of Bengaluru, will wear deserted look come the festive season. Its liquor license has been suspended for a month till midnight Jan 1st 2015 by the excise department.

It is learnt that this is  a consequence of an IPS officer RP Sharma being suspended consequent on an altercation, ( of which there are various versions, as the CCTV at the spot was not functional) between the retinue of the officer (he too was present) and the security staff of the club.

Sharma, apparently, raked up a series of illegalities committed by the club while serving liquor in a complaint to the Excise department. The department’s officials raided the club and found out that club had violated its liquor policy.  Under instructions from the Bangalore urban district administration, has suspended the club’s excise license for one month, starting from Tuesday to midnight on January 1, 2015.

This is the first time since its inception in 1868, that the club’s licence to sell and serve liquor has been suspended, in its 146-year-old history. The suspension order was passed after the club failed to furnish a reply to a show-cause notice served on November 23, asking them to explain why their license should not be suspended after a series of violations were noticed at the time of a raid conducted by excise officials.

The club sought 15 more days to reply, but not satisfied by this demand, the district administration ordered, on Tuesday, the suspension. Following this directive, excise department officials swooped on the club and sealed liquor counters. They told club authorities not to sell or serve liquor as long as the suspension is in force.

The Bengaluru Club can appeal before the excise commissioner challenging the suspension order passed by Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner (Urban), V Shankar, who is the licensing authority.

Suddenly other government bodies waded in to fish in troubled waters.

BBMP officials visited the club and imposed a fine of Rs 45,000 on the club for running eight establishments within its premises sans a trade license. Then Karnataka State Pollution Control Board officials visited the club and asked them not to play music beyond permissible decibel levels. As a result, club had to cancel their musical extravaganza slated for last weekend.  The club even figured in the BBMP council meeting with members alleging that the club had no records to prove ownership of the land on which it sits.